Blue-Eyed Breather

The past few weeks have been rough. I got a cold about 3 weeks ago. No big deal, right? I hadn't gotten a cold in 10 months, which is basically a record for me. Surely my body could fight a cold off. Boy, was I wrong. After a week of fighting the cold, I started running a high fever and felt like a truck had run me over. I finally called the doctor for some reinforcements and started on an oral antibiotic and a course of steroids. Meanwhile, my school semester had just picked up, and I was down to the last 2 weeks of school. I had to finish a research paper, take 2 finals, write a final progress report for my practicum, and give really good, productive therapy. After 4 days on the antibiotic and steroids (Monday with one week of school left), I still was feeling crummy. I checked my oxygen and noticed that it was low--running at about 90-94%. I'm pretty positive the cold had turned into pneumonia. Even walking from my bedroom to my living room made me winded. It took me two-t...

Recently, I was talking to a young woman who will be starting her freshman year of college in August. She didn't ask for my advice, but I gave it anyway. I tend to do that sometimes--blame my desire to help other people succeed as best as I can, I guess. Anyway, that got me thinking, what would I write if I were completely honest and vulnerable with incoming college freshman? What would I tell them that no one else seems to tell them? My freshman year was only 5 years ago, so my memories are still fresh. I came up with a list of things I found out to be true my freshman year. They may not all be true for you, but I hope and pray you gain some insight out of the lessons I learned. 1. Join a church and get plugged in to a small group. This should be your first order of business the minute you step on campus. Besides, you know, finding your dorm room and where all your classes are. Getting in a small group was literally the best thing I did freshman year. Not only did I start formin...

My twin sister got married Saturday, June 18, 2016. What. A. Day. Katie truly deserved the best day ever, and I believe she got that! You see, when you have a twin sister with a chronic disease, you have to grow up pretty fast.  I know that even though I'm the one with the disease, growing up wasn't easy on her, either. I got lots of extra attention she didn't get (not good attention, but still attention). I needed her to be strong many times, even when it was hard. And I counted on her to help me stay healthy, help me catch up on school work, and sometimes miss out on fun stuff to be with me. Katie is the most supportive, most protective, most caring sister I know. There was never a time she refused to step up and be there for me. My sister is truly incredible, and I'm so glad we could make her day so special. I was feeling pretty good during the whole rehearsal and getting ready the next day. However, the second I walked into the chapel heading down the aisle before...

I had the honor and the joy of being my twin sister's maid of honor for her wedding yesterday. It was so much fun, and I can't believe it's over. One of the important jobs of being MOH is giving a toast. For all you people who are curious what I said in my toast, this blog is for you! Enjoy reading the speech I gave for my awesome, fun, kind, loving twin and her now husband! ....... As most of y'all know, I'm Katie's twin sister, Emily. Growing up with a twin is a huge blessing. Katie was the only person my age who I knew I could count on for absolutely everything at every single stage of life. We may have had our fights--okay, we definitely did have our fights--but at the end of the day, I knew she still loved me and I loved her. I remember several conversations about our future weddings and what our future grooms would be like. To be honest, it's strange that's she's now a Mrs! It feels like yesterday we were just dreaming of all this. Katie is...

There's a lot of hurt in this world. Whether that be because of a disease, like cystic fibrosis, or because of evil, like gunmen who kill innocent civilians, or from our own sins, like selfishness, jealousy, or lashing out in uncontrollable anger, we live in a very broken, fragmented world. This isn't how this world was meant to be. This is not what God intended originally. After the fall, sin and pain and struggle entered this world. However,  God promises that, through accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior, we will live in eternity with Him in absolute paradise. But until then, we experience grief and hardships. As I reflect on how much pain is in this world, my heart turns to God for comfort and peace. I came across this song today, and I thought I would share it with all of you. The lyrics give me power in my weakness and hope in the darkness. Let these words cover you in truth and hope. "In Christ alone" In Christ alone my hope is found; He is my light, my...

My personality can be in direct opposition at times. I'm an introvert--I need my alone time, my time to read or watch TV or write. However, my love language is quality time. I crave spending time with the people I love. Being alone for too long can make me lonely. I feel so much love when I'm actually with people and spending time with them. For example, my parents came up to help me move into a new apartment. After we finished moving, we went to the George W Bush Library. We had a great time this weekend! But now, several hours after they left, I'm missing them so much. My apartment isn't nearly as much fun without them. So you see, my personality is at odds. I think I'm going to adjust to living on my own. I'll be at school and have my people time, and I'll also be able to see my parents and boyfriend and siblings and friends. It'll be a change. I've never lived in my own apartment by myself since freshman year when I was in a single dorm room, a...

Yesterday, I started my third semester of graduate school! Honestly, it's a little crazy how fast all this is going. I'm basically half way through! I think part of my love of speech pathology comes from the fact that I can have a huge impact on people's quality of life. I understand how important it is for people to take the time to truly care about you and want to help you improve. While I've never had speech or communication issues (besides needing articulation therapy when I was little), having CF has prepared me to be a great speech pathology. I know what I would want in a therapist: someone who listens to me, someone who cares about my physical well being, someone who is always trying to help me improve and is up to date on the latest research for the best treatment options. I know how crucial it is to be kind and compassionate to your clients. Even when I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life, I knew I wanted to help people, just like so many of my n...